Twelve Drabbles of Christmas
by BlueDream1
Summary: Series of Christmas related drabbles...
1. Snow angels

**Title:** _Twelve Drabbles of Christmas_

**Rating:** K - T

**Pairing:** Jate

**Disclaimer:** Sadly, don´t own Jate.

**Author´s Note:** I imagined this as a series of Xmas themed drabbles. The title of the whole series is inspired by the song _Twelve Days of Christmas_; while each drabble will have its own Christmas related title.

_**Snow angels**_

He wipes the sweat from his brow as he slowly makes his way down the beach, heading towards one place he knows would bring him so needed peace and quiet. The day has been a disaster: half the camp is sick with flu, the other half thinking they´re starting to get it, and he hasn´t had a moment off. He´s spent most of the afternoon running from one patient to another; and when he finally felt he´d snap if he didn't move away from it, even for just a moment, he left Sun in charge and decided to take a walk to his favorite place on the island. But when he finally reaches the spot – the beach that he found on the day of the crash – he realizes that he´s not alone.

She´s laying flat on her back, eyes closed, arms and legs spread, peaceful smile playing on her lips as she waves her arms and legs up and down. He stands on the spot for a couple of moments, mesmerized, watching her. He has no idea what she´s doing, but it makes him smile nevertheless.

˝I can see you there, you know. ˝she calls out for him; and his lips spread ever further, remembering the first time they had this conversation.

˝I wasn´t hiding. ˝he mimics, stepping out onto the sand, hands in his pockets. ˝Hey. ˝he says, reaching her.

˝Hey. ˝she replies back. The sun´s blocking her way, so she squints.

He moves a bit sideways to block the sun from her eyes and she awards him with a grateful smile. ˝Thanks. ˝

˝You´re welcome. So…what are you doing? ˝he asks; a hint of curiosity in his voice.

˝Snow-angels. ˝she replies simply.

He remains baffled for a second; then his lips spread into a smile as he shakes his head. _Snow angels at 87 F. Only her._

˝Wanna join? ˝she asks playfully.

˝Nah, I think I´ll pass. ˝

˝Come on, Jack, it´s fun. And you look like you need relaxing. ˝

He watches the playful sparkle in her eyes and smiles again, shaking his head. He takes of his shoes, sits down; then, throwing one last glance at her, relaxes back down, until he´s laying flat on his back.

˝Ready?˝ he hears her voice and, together, they start moving their arms and legs in a sweeping motion.

Their smiles turn into grins, grins into giggles and soon, the whole beach is echoing with their laughter.

_The day isn´t so bad afterall. _


	2. Snow globe

Thank you for the comments! *hugs* Here´s the next chapter...

p.s. This one was inspired by Coke´s Christmas commercial they´re airing in my country this year (although I _still _haven´t forgiven them for not using the good old _Holidays are coming, holidays are coming!_ one *mad face*)

_**Snow globe**_

For their first official date, he takes her ice-skating.

He loves the sparkle in her eyes as they step onto the rink together (hand in hand), and the sound of her laughter when he accidentally slips and lands hard on the ground, sending her fly on top of him.

Her hands are on his chest and her whole body is quivering with suppressed laughter (reminding him of another time they found themselves in that particular position – time that seems so far away now). His hands rest peacefully on her back (just below her waistline) as he throws his head backwards and joins her; the sound of their laughter echoing through the crowded rink.

He can feel the eyes of other skaters on them, so he slowly pushes them up in sitting position; his hands still on her back, her head cradled securely somewhere between his shoulder and his heart. He´s about to accuse a bump on the ice for his fall (though in reality it had everything to do with the way she smiled in one particular moment, dazzling him and making him lose concentration), but he never finishes it; because in that moment she looks up and the atmosphere changes instantly, both of them realizing just how close they´re standing. Suddenly, there´s no rink, no people skating around them, no Christmas melodies coming from the speakers. No. It´s just the two of them now; and the only thing separating them are two tiny inches between their lips. But neither has courage to do the first step…

_(Meanwhile…at the North Pole…)_

He opens the door and enters the small wooden room; the fire from the fireplace greeting him warm and welcoming. He takes off his read hat and hangs his red coat; then proceeds towards his bed. He gets under the covers and relaxes back into the cushions; tired, but knowing that there is one final thing he has to do before retiring for the next eleven months.

He reaches into his nightstand and pulls out a beautiful, middle sized snow globe. Scratching his long white beard, he leans in and looks into its depths. There´s a little ice-skating rink in there, surrounded by miniature skyscrapers and even more miniature palm trees of LA, CA. _Ice-skating and palm trees. God, he loves this city!_ The rink is crowded, dozens of persons spinning in circles - persons that, from his perspective, look more like ants than people his own size. However, he´s not interested in all those people. Oh, no. The objects of his attention are a man and a woman in the middle of the rink. The only two persons that aren´t skating; but sitting instead, their eyes locked on each other, lips as close as two lips can be without actually touching. Just for his own amusement, he decides to wait a few moments to see if they will actually make the first step without him interfering.

He lists the names of all of his reindeer. He mentally replays all the continents he´s visited that night. He counts to five.

But, alas, those two idiots still haven´t moved. So he does what he should have done long time ago (what he _would_ have done – despite it not being his time of the year to interfere – on that quiet jungle night if that moron of Michael Dawson hadn´t showed up!). He balances the snow globe on his palm; then inclines it slightly to the left.

The lips of the man and the woman touch. Santa smiles. He puts the globe back on his nightstand and gets more comfortable in his bed. He takes one last look at the globe: the woman is now lying on top of the man and they´re kissing with such fervor they began to attract the attention of other skaters. He grins. _They don´t need him anymore_. He puts the snow globe back into the drawer and reaches for the remote. He promised Rudolph and company double amount of sweets if they cooperated and managed to bring him home by 10pm that night, because he hates to miss this show (_Why did Christmas Eve have to fall precisely on Wednesday?_). He turns on his TV and sighs contently as the narrator´s words announce: _Previously on Lost…_

_

* * *

_

So…what do you think? I made _Santa_ a Jater! Sneaky, huh? ;p


	3. December Mornings

Thank you all for the reviews! Glad you liked the Santa & snow-globe trick ;) Here´s a little family fluff…

_**December mornings**_

She is awoken by warm, soft lips starting at her back and kissing their way up her spine, across her nape and down in the valley where her shoulder meets her neck.

˝Mmmmmh…˝she mumbles, snuggling closer to the source of the kisses, but still refusing to wake up.

He smiles. ˝Come on, sleepyhead, it´s time to get up. ˝he says; sitting down on the bed and gently brushing a couple of loose curls off of her cheek. ˝Breakfast is ready and the little monster down there is already bouncing with energy. ˝he chuckles, remembering his own attempts to wake up properly while the impatient three year old danced around him, babbling excitedly about all the things they´d see and do that day.

It´s Sunday before Christmas and Jack´s first free Sunday in weeks and they promised Aaron a trip to ice-skating rink, lunch at his favourite BBQ restaurant and then later a visit to the tree market where they will pick their own Christmas tree for that year. Or, long story short, a fun-filled day that will require a lot of energy; something neither of them stopped to think about the previous night, when they started making out the second Aaron had fallen asleep and didn't stop until the early hours of the morning.

He bends down and continues his assault on her neck, nibbling gently on the tender skin until she starts to squirm.

˝No. Need…more…sleep. ˝she mumbles quietly, stubbornly closing her eyes tighter as if that will make the sleep come again.

˝You know that never works, right? ˝he says, chuckling at her childish attempt.

She pretends not to hear and he knows he´ll have to change his tactic. He leans down and catches her lips in his, giving her a deep, passionate kiss before pulling away. ˝Okay, then…if you really insist, you can go back to sleep. ˝he says, earning a victorious smile from her. ˝It´s such a shame, though…all that warm, tasty hot chocolate left untouched... ˝he adds, waiting for the words to sink in; then smiling as he sees her straighten a bit.

˝Hot…chocolate? ˝she asks sleepily; still too groggy to open her eyes, but otherwise giving him her full attention now.

˝Yep. ˝he nods. ˝Hot, slippery chocolate that glides down your throat… And then there are pancakes too…˝he plays his final card; grin spreading on his face.

˝P-pancakes? ˝

˝Yep, pancakes. Bell, snowman and reindeer shapes ones, with maple and blueberry syrup, just like you love them. ˝he taunts, his lips now playing with her earlobe, driving her crazy. ˝But, you´re right…˝he says, pulling away abruptly. ˝You should go back to sleep; there´ll be more for Aaron and me anyway. ˝

He starts to get up from the bed; biting back a grin when he feels her tugging on his shirt.

˝Not so fast, Mister. ˝

˝What? ˝he asks innocently. ˝I thought you wanted more sleep. ˝

˝You cannot just mention pancakes and chocolate and expect me to go back to sleep. ˝she explains matter-of-factly; taking hold of his collar and pulling him down for a kiss.

˝Mmmmh…morning. ˝he mumbles into her mouth, pulling away to look at her.

˝Morning. ˝she replies, squinting back at him; her eyes still sensitive to the morning light.

She reaches up to touch his cheek with the back of her palm. ˝You really made me pancakes? ˝she asks softly and he smiles; leaning down to give her a tender peck on the lips.

˝Yeah, I really made you pancakes. Can´t guarantee how many of them are left now though, considering I left the little rascal alone with them in order to wake you up. ˝he says and smiles, imagining Aaron covered in syrup by now. ˝Anyway…how ´bout I leave you to get dressed while I go downstairs to make sure you get some after all? ˝he says sweetly and she smiles.

˝Sounds great. ˝she mumbles, giving him another quick kiss before diving back into the cushions.

She watches him leave; happy smile playing on her face; then slowly gets up, wrapping a blanket around her body as she heads towards the bathroom; looking forward to a fun day with her two favorite men in the whole wide world…

* * *

p.s. I´m running out of ideas a bit, so if you have any request or idea, feel free to let me know and I´ll do my best to try to write it. The only condition is that it´s Christmas related.


	4. A gift

Thank you all for the reviews and I´m glad you liked the family fluff – I love writing those. Here´s something a bit… _different_…you could even say unique. Oh and, this was supposed to be just a short drabble; but I got carried away and I guess it´s more like a little one-shot now. *giggle* Oh, well…I blame it on Jate, not me. ;) Hope you´ll like the idea.

_**A gift**_

I´m not even properly introduced into this world, but I already know what Christmas means. Or, to be more precise, I found out what it means at exactly 12.01am this morning. _Christmas_ morning. You´re probably wondering who I am and what it was that gave me that realization, but…be patient. I´ll tell you: step by step. For this story does not begin at 12.01am on Christmas morning. It begins a couple of hours (or days, or weeks – does it really matter?) earlier, in a room on the upper floor of a beautiful suburban house, Panorama Crest n°42…

...

I listen to her read stories to Aaron; late in the day when we all feel a bit drowsy and in need for rest. I love that time of the day; when everything goes calm and silent and she and Aaron and Auntie Claire snuggle together in Aaron´s bed. I can´t see them, but I can hear their voices. I know I´m separated from them by a thick, still impenetrable veil; but somehow I feel connected to them; in these times more than ever; warm and snug and protected (despite occasional accidental kicks I receive from Aaron, who I still haven't decided if I like or not!). They talk about reindeers and trees, red noses and snowflakes, giving and sharing; and about some old bearded guy that has naughty and nice list and somehow manages to visit every child in the world in just one night. Sounds a bit impossible, if you ask me; but when I hear it coming from _her_ mouth, suddenly it all feels real and possible and I´m drawn to hear more. Her hand is on her tummy and I feel the warmth radiating from it; surpassing the veil that separates us and reaching towards me, making me feel safe and loved.

I listen to her voice and I´m lulled into this blissful state of peace. I don´t know how she looks like. I don´t know if she´s fat or slim. I don´t know if her hair is black or blonde; curly or straight. I don't know if her eyes are brown or green; her face freckled or not. But it doesn´t matter anyways. Because I know what I need to know. What matters the most.

I know her voice is sweet and kind; her touch soft and gentle (_I love how it softens even more when she´s addressing me or Aaron_). I know she likes Patsy Cline and I also know she cries every time she hears Barry White´s _Kiss and Say Goodbye_ on the radio. I know her least favourite word is ´island´ and her favourite number is ´5´ (she told me that, laughing through tears, when she found out that my due date is on the 5th). I know she likes ocean; although it makes her sad too. I also know her name: _Mummy_.

But most of all, I know I love her.

I already love her and that´s why it pains me to feel her sad. To hear her cry. She does it when she thinks she´s alone; when Aaron is upstairs sleeping and Auntie Claire is away somewhere. But she´s not alone, because I´m here and we´re one, at least for now. We´re one and I feel every emotion she feels. When she laughs, I laugh too: her whole body trembles; and I love the sound of it: likes thousands of happy jingle bells dancing around me. When she cries, her body trembles again, but in a different way; and it´s a sound I _don´t_ like.

I know _why_ she´s sad too. She misses him. Misses Daddy. I´m too little to understand it all, but what I _do_ understand is that he´s somewhere far, far away and that he´s not coming back. _Can´t_ come back. I know that I won´t get to know him, so I take in every word I hear about him.

She tells me about him when she takes me to the beach. Other times too; but mostly when we´re on the beach. It´s just our time: no Aaron, no Auntie Claire, no uncles Sawyer or Hurley. Just Mummy and me. She takes off her shoes and steps into the water. I can´t feel it, because my feet are too short; but I can hear the soothing sound of the waves, and it´s _just_ like she described it: _Water goes out, takes the sand with it and_…we sink. I close my eyes and relax, knowing I´ll hear another one of my favourite bedtime stories; from the series I like to call ´_Daddy Stories_´.

She tells me about beautiful sandy beaches and crystal blue seas. About slings and second chances, guava seeds and fireside dinners. She tells me the conquering fear story and jokes that I´ll probably be the only newborn that knows to count to five. She tells me how Daddy was kind and stubborn; how he loved to help people, take care of them. She tells me that it is precisely why he isn´t here with us: because he chose to sacrifice himself for others…for her…for me too; although he didn´t know I´m here. She tells me how he´d be a great Daddy, despite him not believing in that; and promises me that she´ll keep him alive in her heart for both of us.

Sometimes, when she´s alone, she tells _him_ about _me_ too. She tells him about morning sicknesses and about both happiness and sadness she felt when that stick turned blue. Happiness because she still had something from him, and sadness because he wasn´t there to share it with her. She tells him about first ultrasounds and the first time she heard my heartbeat. She shows him a picture of me (_though I don´t like her comparing me to a peanut!_) and tells him she´d like me to have his eyes.

Right now, she´s telling him how she´s still waiting for my first kick. And that´s when I realize what to give Mummy for Christmas.

It´s Christmas Eve and she´s sitting alone on the couch, leaning back against the cushions. In one hand, she´s holding a piece of chocolate chip cookie she´s currently munching on (_Thank you, mummy, I LOVE chocolate!_); while the other hand is on her tummy, gently caressing the spot she hopes I´m currently at. The lights are out; but the room is not in complete dark, for the lights of the Christmas tree are flickering across the walls. I don´t know how Christmas tree really looks like, ´cause I´ve never seen one; but from what I could gather from Aaron´s excited babbling as they were decorating it, it´s shiny and sparkly and full of joy. I can´t _see_ the tree or the lights; but I can _hear_ the soft melody playing on the radio. Its tune is soft and peaceful, full of that calming atmosphere only Christmas songs can give you; and I find myself lulled into that state close to sleep. But I know I can´t fall asleep, not yet; so I concentrate on the ticking sound of the nearby clock. I know I can give her my gift now too, but I want to wait the right moment. The right moment to tell her that she´s not alone; that although Daddy´s not here, I am and I love her. The moment Christmas arrives.

As the people on the radio count down the last minutes to Christmas, I think about all the things I heard grown-ups give to each other for Christmas. I don´t have money to buy her clothes or jewellery; cell phones or laptops; nor a voice to wish her a Merry Christmas or sing a Christmas carol. But I have something that they don´t. So when the lady on the radio announces midnight; I stretch out as much as I can and, hoping I´ll hit the precise spot her hand is at; I send a little kick upwards.

Her hand stops in her tracks. It´s not caressing me anymore; just standing still -_perfectly_ still -and I think Mummy´s even holding her breath. Wanting to let her know that it was really me and not just a product of her imagination, I kick again; then wait…wait for her reaction.

For a few moments, everything is quiet; and then I hear and feel them at the same time: thousands of tiny jingle bells starting to flutter around me. And I smile. Because I know I gave her the greatest Christmas gift I could give:

_I made Mummy laugh_.


	5. Silent Night

Thank you all so much for the reviews and glad you liked the little Jaby as the narrator ;) Some of you said you like the family fluff, so here´s another one of those:

_**Silent Night**_

Jack groaned as he felt a kick in the groin, the force of it missing the part of his body that hurts the most if hit (and all the damage that would most definitely go with it) by a mere inch. He peeled his eyes open and there was a sight to see.

Aaron was lying on his stomach; head turned in the opposite side, while the lower part of his 7-year old body was draped over Jack, including the left foot that Jack immediately identified as his attacker. On his right, laid a 3-year old Holden – flat on his back; his arms and legs stretched in such position Jack wondered if he was dreaming of making snow angels. Next to Holden was Kate; her hands supporting her head as she laid on her side, looking like she was trying not to even breathe to not wake up the boys again. _It had been an exhausting day: taking the kids to see Santa and then spending the rest of the day in shopping madness – so tiring that, when they finally got home, they bribed the kids with ice-cream and cookies dinner the following day if they cooperated and went to bed without meltdowns._

He caught her look and gave her a small, tired smile. ˝Nightmare? ˝

She nodded. ˝I´d _finally_ fallen asleep…and then I heard Aaron calling for me. ˝she explained, tiredly.

˝Monsters? ˝he asked.

˝_Pirates_. Big, evil pirates – and a tickling alligator. ˝she sighed. ˝Remind me not to let them watch _Peter Pan_ anytime soon. ˝

Jack smiled; then nodded towards Holden. ˝And him? ˝

˝He said he´d dreamed pirates too, but I think he just wanted to join the slumber party. ˝she said, making him smile.

He turned onto his side and reached his arm towards her, gently caressing her face. ˝Hey. ˝

˝Hey. ˝she replied tiredly; but still managed a small smile.

However, any further conversation was interrupted by a small whimper coming from a baby monitor on Kate´s nightstand. Their eyes met.

˝And speaking of those who want to join the slumber party…˝he said, turning on his back and letting out a sigh as the whimper grew into a weep; and the weep into a fully blown screaming.

Kate made a move to get up, but he stopped her; taking hold on her arm and gently urging her to lie down again. ˝I´ll get her. ˝

She smiled gratefully and snuggled back under the covers.

Jack carefully untangled Aaron from his body; then got up; going over to Kate´s side of the bed and leaning down to give her a small kiss before disappearing out of the room.

She turned on her back and watched him re-enter the room; this time with a tiny, whimpering infant snuggled close to his heart. He crossed the room; then, holding Sophie close to his chest with one hand, moved the covers with the other and got comfortable, lying down on his back again, with his 2-months old daughter resting on top of him. He traced soothing circles across her back and was delighted to see that she was starting to calm down.

Just as everything started to settle down; Kate sneezed and they froze; looking down with terror at the two boys that started to squirm. They both held their breath for a moment, afraid to move even a finger; but then the boys calmed down and Jack and Kate allowed themselves to relax again.

Their fingers intertwined above the heads of their two boys, their baby girl sleeping soundly on her daddy´s chest; and in that moment they knew they were both thinking the same thing: They finally knew why they call a silent night a _holy_ night.


	6. Christmas dinner

Thank you all for the nice words and so sorry for not updating this in a week – I had the drafts in my notebook, but I literally had no time to sit down and actually type it down. Hope you´ll like this one too.

_**A Christmas dinner**_

He opened the door and was immediately greeted by a pair of small feet advancing excitedly towards him as the cute voice of ˝_Jack! Jack!_ ˝filled the room. He had barely enough time to squat down before a tiny body crashed into him, wrapping its limps around his body with a strangling force.

˝Whoa, buddy, slow down, where´s the fire? ˝he said, laughing; as he lifted Aaron up and gave him a kiss; but all the cuddling that might have followed was interrupted by a familiar melody of Aaron´s favorite cartoon coming from the living room.

˝´ponge Bob! ˝Aaron squealed, clapping his hands and starting to squirm in Jack´s arms till he had no other choice than to let him down.

˝What - I don´t even get a kiss? ˝he called after him, putting on his best pouting voice and barely holding back a grin as he watched Aaron run back into the hall, give him a quick peck and then run off again, closing the door behind him.

Jack shook his head, smiling; then took off his jacket and placed it on the hanger. Loosening the tie, he headed across the hallway, in search of her.

˝Kate? ˝he called, getting the answer in a form of a loud clatter followed by a not-so-PG13ish ˝_Shit! Shit! Shit_! ˝coming from the kitchen.

Intrigued – and a little bit scared – he followed the sounds; stopping in his tracks at the sight in front of him.

The kitchen was a mess…in every sense of the word. There were bowls and plates everywhere; bottles, lids, spoons and every other imaginable dish. Two trays of cookies were cooling off on the table, and a giant half-prepared turkey was standing on the counter. Kate was moving in the middle of that whole mess; juggling her way between the trays and bowls and God-knows-which-other kitchen appliances. She looked cute: in her apron, hair tied firmly in a pony-tail, her face wrinkled in concentration as she read a recipe from her cookbook; and for a few moments he just stood there, watching her; wondering how a simple sight like that could make him fall in love with her even more. When they were on the island, he´d never pegged her for someone who could be content with simple, ordinary tasks that didn´t include running off in the middle of danger or something; but as he got to know her, especially in these months he was living with her, he grew to understand that he loved every side of her: the gentle and caring one as he watched her play with Aaron or kiss his boo-boos away, the stubborn, drives-you-mad one that reminded him of their time on the island, the loving and passionate one as her whole body trembled in his arms at night. They were all Kate and with each day passed, he loved her more.

˝Hey. ˝he finally said and she looked up from the cookbook and smiled at him.

˝Hey. ˝she replied back; as he moved behind the counter and wrapped his arms around her, placing a loving kiss at the side of her neck then resting his chin there. ˝How was work? ˝

˝Boring. I couldn't wait to come back to you and Aaron. ˝he replied sweetly, continuing the assault on her neck.

She let him go for it for a few moments; then squirmed out of his arms; planting a quick kiss on his lips before moving to the cookbook again. ˝I´m happy to see you too, but I´m kinda busy right now. ˝she said.

˝I can see that. ˝Jack commented, looking around the kitchen and biting back a grin. ˝So, uhm…what is it that you´re doing? Making dinner for the entire rugby team or something? ˝he teased, not even knowing how such an amount of food could even fit in their kitchen.

˝Ha ha, very funny. ˝she rolled her eyes; giving the cookbook her attention again as she replied: ˝No, I´m making Christmas dinner for tonight. ˝

˝Well…not that I don´t appreciate your effort and all, but…don´t you think there are a bit…too many dishes; even for 10 people; and not just for four, which is how many of us will be here tonight? ˝he said, moving behind her again and leaning his head down to gently suck on the exposed part of her neck.

She slapped him playfully with the spoon and moved away from his touch again. ˝Jack, _stop_. I need to focus and I can´t focus like this. This is our first Christmas together and Margo is coming and I want everything to be perfect. ˝

˝Kate, don´t you think you´re overreacting a bit? ˝he asked, half serious half amused. ˝It´s my _mum_ coming, not...not the Queen of England. ˝he said, chuckling at his own joke. Kate didn´t seem amused.

˝It´s almost the same. Plus, I think I´d be less nervous meeting the Queen than your mother. ˝she said; her voice high-pitched.

˝Kate, you´ve already _met_ my mother and she _loves_ you. ˝he tried to reason with her, but she was past reason at this point.

˝That doesn´t count. ˝she shook it off quickly, pulling the milk in the bowl.

˝Wha..._why_? ˝he asked, completely puzzled.

˝Because I´ve met her as your friend and fellow castaway, not your _girl_friend and a woman you live with. ˝she explained matter-of-factly, brushing off past him to pull out the flour from the cupboard.

He wanted to joke that those were two same Kates, but decided against it, rightfully concluding that his joke wouldn't go well with the crazed look reflecting currently in her eyes.

˝Fine then….Can I help? ˝he asked, rolling up his sleeves and putting on the other apron.

Her eyes lit. ˝Really? ˝

He smiled at her expression. ˝Careful there, I might get offended. ˝

˝Oh, no…I didn´t mean it like you never help me. It´s just…I thought you´d be too tired, since you worked and all. ˝she hurried to apologize; but he shushed her with a finger on her lips.

˝I´m fine. Plus…˝he said, leaning in closer (and getting her full attention now). ˝I´m never too tired to spend time with you. ˝he whispered, closing the distance between them.

The kiss grew more and more passionate and before she even knew how or when it had happened; she was sitting on the counter, legs wrapped around his waist, arms around his neck; their tongues dueling for dominance until they were both left breathless and had to pull away.

˝Fine…I admit… this is…_way_ more fun. ˝she mumbled in between planting small, wet kisses on his lips. ˝But you´ll have to explain your mum why the turkey´s not ready. ˝she said, half teasing half serious; before swallowing him in another deep, frenzy kiss.

Jack laughed and pulled away. ˝Okay. I promise I´ll put the blame entirely on me. In fact, I think I´ll just tell her we were practicing for a baby, you know how they always nag for grandchildren and all. ˝he added, teasing; and she slapped his shoulder playfully.

˝You wouldn´t. I could never look into her eyes again. ˝she said, terrified with the idea.

Jack giggled. ˝Fine, I swear not to talk with my mum about our sex life ever. Under one condition. ˝he added.

Kate tilted her head playfully. ˝Oh, yeah? And what´s that? ˝

˝That you stop talking and kiss me. ˝he breathed out.

She smiled, cupping his face in her hands. ˝Mission accomplished. ˝she whispered; and the next moment her lips were on his, impatient and needy; all rational thoughts leaving her mind as he cleared brushed away the items surrounding them and lowered her gently onto the counter…


	7. Something About Christmas Night

Hey, everyone! First of all, thanks for the reviews for the last chapter, and, second, so sorry for such a long delay – I simply didn´t have time to actually sit down behind my PC long enough to turn notebook sketches into more or less worthy drabbles. :o I know Xmas period has passed, but hopefully we all have inside a little bit of Christmas magic left for this not to be boring.

_**Something about Christmas night**_

˝Okay, guys, I really can´t believe you managed to talk me into all of this. ˝said Jack as he watched down at Charlie and Hurley who were bouncing up and down across the beach, occasionally shouting orders and, by doing that, probably waking up everything alive on this Craphole Island.

˝To the right! Little more to the riiiiiight! ˝the piercing voice of the British man echoed through usually silent night, ´causing the birds from the nearby trees to startle from their sleep and take off high in the sky to find a new, hopefully quieter place to rest before setting off into some new adventures with the arrival of the new day.

˝Easy for you to say seeing you´re _not the one 10 FEET FROM THE GROUND! _˝Jack shouted back; holding tightly to a tree with one hand and leaning forwards to reach the top of the tree with the other one; all that time trying to convince himself that looking down wasn't exactly the most advisable thing to do.

˝Oh, for God´s sake, can you stop wining for once and put that bloody star where it was supposed to be half an hour ago! ˝said Charlie impatiently, rolling his eyes at Hurley. ˝We have better things to do, you know? ˝

_You _have better thi….˝ Jack started, but stopped himself soon, knowing that it wouldn't make any difference at all. He cursed silently under his breath as one of the branches pierced his skin, probably leaving a bloody mark on his forehead.

Finally, he did it. With one last effort, he managed to grab the top and stab the shinning aluminum star on the highest branch. Suddenly, the ground underneath him exploded with ecstatic claps and joyful whistles. Despite the position he was in, Jack smiled. He started climbing down, accompanied by Charlie´s _˝Woot-s!_ ˝ and Hurley´s _˝Dude, you did it! You did it!_ ˝

He let out a silent moan of relief as his feet finally touched the ground. It´s not that he was a coward, he just…didn't like heights. He took a few steps back and raised his head to admire their work. The tree really was beautiful, decorated with numerous red and gold ribbons made from the remaining of the old clothes. And the star was a story for itself. Sayid found a part of the fuselage and somehow managed to form it in the shape of a star that was now flickering high above as the silver traces of moonlight reflected on its surface.

˝Happy to be down finally? ˝he heard her address him, noticing the playful tone in her voice. _Was she teasing him?_

He turned around, his eyes colliding with the beauty _itself _in front of him. Something was different, although he couldn't tell what it was. Her hair was the same, elegantly cascading down her shoulders; freckles were still there; even her clothes wasn't far from the usual; but there was something…something about the way she looked at him.

Realizing he was staring, he snapped out of it quickly, his hand brushing his forehead.

˝Nuh…I liked it up there as well. ˝he replied, acting as cool as possible.

Kate giggled.

˝Oh, really? ˝she continued teasingly. ˝´To me it didn't seem like…How to express myself…˝ she put her finger on her mouth, pretending to think. ˝…you were in your element up there. ˝

Jack bit his lip. He wasn't going to answer to that one. Kate smiled, watching his profile. For first time in his life he seemed peaceful, calm…no worries or obligations visible on his forehead. She raised her head to look at the tree again.

˝It really is beautiful, Jack. ˝she said quietly and somehow, her hand just slipped in his, their fingers intertwining as soft tones of a familiar melody started floating through the misty air.

Jack tightened a bit his grip around her hand, starting to feel the well-known shot of electricity that consumed his senses regularly every time her skin brushed his. He looked up at the sky, then at her; and in that moment, with _Silent Night_ music playing in the background and the silver light glistening on her face, he realized something. He realized he was in love. _Deeply, madly, eternally. Without a way back._

And suddenly, without even being aware of it, he found himself turning around and pulling her closer, his hands now on her waist, as he started to sway their bodies right and left, in the rhythm of the melody.

Kate didn't oppose; she just wrapped her hands around his neck, closing her eyes and letting him lead their way as the beach turned into their dance floor and the sand into its velvety carpet. _They weren´t on the island anymore, but at some graceful 18-th century court, floating their way through endless hauls of glass and gold, losing themselves in the enchanting harmony of waltz…_

˝You look beautiful tonight. ˝he whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver slightly. ˝Not that you´re not beautiful any other day… ˝he added quickly; blushing; then cleared his throat and continued: ˝It´s just that tonight is …somehow special. ˝

Kate tried to say something, but the words just didn't leave her mouth. The sound of his voice combined with the ticklish feeling of his breath on her ear loop were making her trembling with anticipation…and love. That´s right – _love_. After all these months of constant trying of denying it, Kate finally allowed herself to admit it. Admit the feeling that had been conceived in her the day she sewed his back and had been nothing but growing ever since. She wasin love with him.

Jack felt her shiver slightly and continued, encouraged by her not showing any sign of running.

˝I´ve been trying all this time to figure out what could it be…what is it that makes your eyes shining like that…like diamond in the sun. And one answer always kept coming back to me. ˝

On those words, Kate opened her eyes, locking them with his hazel ones. Jack continued: ˝The simplest of all; yet, if true, seeming so unbelievable; but again so incredibly possible. So I´m gonna ask you something now, Kate. You don't have to say anything, I know you´re not good with it…with saying what you feel…just…just let me know _somehow_, okay? ˝he asked, gazing into the emerald deeps of her eyes. He took a deep intake of breath before he finally let the words slip his mouth. ˝Do you love me? ˝

Kate didn't even flinch. She knew what he was going to ask her even before he said it and she had expected the familiar impulse to run to consume her body. But it didn't happen. For the first time in her life, when confronted with feelings, Kate Austen didn't feel the need to run. And it scared her…but, at the same time, fascinated her. He managed. He managed something that neither Tom nor Kevin nor her Dad ever managed. He made her want to stay. Not run. But _stay_. Overwhelmed with emotions, she just nodded; moment later feeling him pull her closer in the hug that was saying exactly how much he needed it, how much he wanted it, how much he needed _her_.

The melody was slowly going down to its end. Pulling away from the hug, Jack looked again into her eyes before leaning her forward so that her back were almost touching the sand. Holding her like that; his hands around her back and her arms still wrapped up tightly around his neck; he moved his face closer to her and, looking her straight in the eyes, whispered:

˝I´m going to kiss you now. ˝

Adorable smile crossed Kate´s lips as she mumbled, not detaching her gaze from his:

˝I know. ˝

And as their lips finally became one, the music started playing its latest tones, fading slowly into the night that was promising to develop into something beautiful…

* * *

Hope it wasn´t too cheesy :o


	8. A Gift  II

Lots of you seemed to like _Chapter 4_, so I decided to listen to **Jimelda**´s suggestion (thanks for that, btw *hug*) and see if I could write a sequel. This is not from a baby´s POV, but from Kate´s, in a form of a letter she writes to Jack; but it´s about the same baby that made Kate smile in chapter 4. ;)

p.s. Usually, when I imagine Kate with a jaby after the events of the finale (and I´m one of those that like to believe that she _was_ pregnant when she left the island), I imagine that jaby as a boy. Don´t ask me why, because I can´t explain (the same way I can´t explain why I believe that, if Jate had a jaby when Jack was alive, it would be a girl –just the image of Jack with a daughter that would definitely be a daddy´s girl and have him wrapped around her finger is enough to make me melt ). BUT, for this fic, somehow...I felt that the baby should be a girl. Don´t know why, but it just fit better.

p.s.2 - Also, the underlined parts are words that should be emphasized. I know it´s usually done with italics, but since the whole first part is practically a letter and therefore in italics itself, I had to find a way to achieve the emphasis and the underlining them seemed less brutal than bolding; so I hope no one minds. Okay, shutting up now, I promise :o

**A gift - II**

_Hey!_

_Merry Christmas! It´s amazing how fast time flies, isn´t it? This time last year, I felt our baby´s first kick and now...now she´s already seven months old. _

_She´s sleeping in my lap as I write this, btw. She´s been cranky lately – her teeth have started to sprout; so getting more than two hours of sleep in a row is pretty much mission impossible the last couple of days. But that´s okay, I don´t mind. As long as she´s happy and not in pain, I´m fine with it. Plus, I kinda love these moments, late at night (or should I say in the morning), Claire and Aaron sleeping, and the two of us cuddled together: she, lying on my chest as I gently caress her back, soothing her to sleep. In times like those I realize how lucky I was, despite the pain I had to (and __still__ have to) go through. Without her, dealing with your...with you __being gone__...would be much, __much__ harder. I remember...back in those first weeks after the return...it was __so__ hard – there were times when I didn´t think I would make it. Didn´t even know if I __wanted__ to. Then I found out I was pregnant and suddenly - everything changed. It was still hard, don´t get me wrong; but I knew I had a life growing inside of me – life that __we__ created – and I just knew I had to deal with it. Live with it and learn to appreciate that, even though __you__´re gone, a part of you lives on. It felt like... like a part of you came back to stay with me. _

_And she really __is__ that, you know? I know how people say that all babies look alike; but she really __is__ your mini-me. She has your nose, your mouth; and sometimes when she´s concentrating really hard (pretty much every time she poops ;p ), her brows knit together just like yours. But, most of all, she has your eyes. That´s all I prayed for, while I was pregnant. That she´s healthy and that she has your eyes (though back then I didn´t know it would be a ´she´. ). It´s really amazing, you know? To see you reflecting in her. Although kind of a bittersweet too. It´s funny how sometimes your greatest comfort can be your greatest source of pain too. But that´s life, I guess. _

_Anyway… she´s teething, I already told you that. She´s also starting to crawl a bit; although she still hasn´t mastered it enough to get herself more than couple of feet away. She loves playing peek-a-boo too. Mostly with Aaron, who she adores. Actually, ´worships´ would be a better description. It´s really adorable, the way her face lights up whenever she spots him: her hands fly into the air immediately and she starts letting out these adorable little sounds that sound like giggling. Aaron doesn´t exactly share her excitement... most of the times anyway. At almost five and a half, he´s slowly getting out of that cute, cuddly phase and starting to want to be more independent. He´s started kindergarten and he likes it so far. He´s still in the girls-are-yucky phase, although he has a light crush on his teacher, always wanting to sit next to her and all that. He´s got himself a couple of new friends there and he´s generally a happy, bright kid. He pretends the little one doesn´t impress him much, but lots of times he´s the first one there when she cries, comforting her until Claire or I get there. He still mentions you too. He likes us telling him about you (he got a good laugh out of that story when I kicked your ass at golf :p) and he also talks about how you used to take him to playground and read him stories. Speaking of stories…there´s one change in him though: he doesn´t let us read him ´Alice in Wonderland´. He says it was something the two of you shared and that the next time he opens that book, it´ll be __him__ reading it to __you__. You see, one day he saw me writing these letters and wanted to know who I was writing them to. So I told him. I told him that, even though you´re not physically with us anymore, you´ll always be with us in our hearts and that whenever he feels sad and misses you, he can talk to you. You won´t be able to reply, but you´ll hear him. I know it sounds silly, but, in a way, I believe it. I believe that, wherever you are right now, you´re able to hear us, or at least __feel__ us. Our love. Some people would call me crazy, but I don´t care. I believe it and it makes me feel better. And I noticed it made __him__ feel better too. _

_Every night, before going to bed, he kisses the photo of the two of you that´s on his nightstand and wishes you goodnight. And every time I see it, a lump forms in my throat. Because it isn´t fair. It isn´t fair that you can´t be with us, especially in this period. That you can´t make gingerbread with us, decorate the tree with us, see our daughter smile at that silly reindeer puppet you got Aaron for our first Christmas together. Do you remember it? We were shopping for Christmas decorations and Aaron was throwing a fit, crying so hard and refusing to stop until you grabbed the first thing you saw (a silly looking reindeer hand puppet) and started fooling around with it. He loved it so much you ended up buying him the whole set: the reindeer, Santa, snowman and penguin with a red scarf. The last three got lost somewhere over the years, but we still have the reindeer. Aaron likes to make her laugh with it. He puts it on his hand and does a little show for her: making faces, changing voices, tickling her with it. She has a blast when he´s up for it: waving her little arms, giggling, even squeeing from delight. She´s still too young to really experience Christmas, but she loves looking at all the shiny stuff and twinkling lights, so that´s fun._

_We also took her to have her first pic with Santa taken the other day, but she was totally unimpressed. Aaron was trembling with excitement and Claire and I were buzzing around, trying to take the best pictures; and she was just staring at us as if we were a bunch of lunatics. Oh, well, maybe next year we´ll have more luck. I just hope it´s only a matter of her still not realizing anything and not a sign that she´ll be one of those kids who don´t believe in Santa. Not that it would be a bad thing, it´s just that I love being able to use ´the Santa card´ once in a year. It´s unbelievable how it works its magic every single time! Aaron was in bed by 9 tonight, all sweet and cuddly and checking if we would really make sure to tell Santa how good he was all day. We assured him we would and he kissed us goodbye. As I was leaving, something else happened. He called me back and whispered me not to be sad because he told Santa to wish you Merry Christmas from all of us and to make sure you had some milk and cookies to enjoy. It took me everything I had not to fall apart, but I somehow managed it. Sometimes I envy children. Everything is so simple in their world._

_Anyway, I´ve got to go now. She´s starting to squirm and I have to get her to her crib before she wakes up, or neither of us will be getting any sleep tonight. I´ll write you again in a couple of days, when everything settles down. Bye._

_As always, till we meet again…._

_ Love,_

_ Kate  
_

She folded the paper, sealed the envelope and put it in the box, to join the others. Careful not to wake the baby, she got up, nibbled on the cookies Aaron had left for Santa (Claire knew about her sweet tooth for chocolate, so they decided to split it: Claire got to drink the milk, Kate got the cookies); then turned off the light. Taking one last look at the Christmas tree flickering in all its glory, she headed upstairs, trying to be as silent as possible (Aaron would be up anyway in a couple of hours, calling them to wake up because Santa came, and she didn´t want to give him the reason to wake the whole house hours earlier than it was necessary).

She reached the nursery and opened the door slowly, walking on her tiptoes till she got to the crib. Supporting her head gently, she laid the baby down on the mattress; then covered her with a blanket, tucking her in safely. She leaned down and pressed a tiny kiss on her head, closing her eyes and drinking in that sweet scent only babies have. She smiled. A single tear escaped her eye, sliding down her face as she looked at the sleeping baby:

t_he last, and best, gift she had from him._

_

* * *

_

Also, forgot to thank you for the reviews for the previous chapter *hugs* Hope you guys will love this one too. ;)_  
_


	9. Missing Reindeer

Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the delay – college is keeping me very busy lately :( Here´s the next one - inspired by Phoebe from Friends ;)

_**Missing reindeer**_

Jack Shephard was sitting on the couch, completely relaxed, reading the sport section of LA Times. It was one of his rare free days and Kate and he were hanging out in the living room; him reading the newspapers, her solving some crosswords; both of them enjoying the lazy afternoon while waiting for the time to come to pick Aaron up from preschool. Christmas was soon approaching and they decided to spend the day shopping for gifts and maybe even take him to meet Santa in one of the malls, if the crowds weren´t too big. They´d spent the previous night and most of the morning after Aaron had left making love, so now they were enjoying the silence and a little of me-time, both wrapped up in what they were reading and appreciating the peace and quiet of a sunny Californian December day.

He was just about to read the article about the new Red Sox´s defeat when he heard her call out his name.

˝Hey, Jack? ˝she said and he looked up from his newspapers; only to find her completely immersed in what she was reading, her legs curled up on the sofa and a pen in her hand. ˝Name of a reindeer, 6 letters˝

˝Uhm…Rudolf? ˝he tried and she shot him a look.

˝Yeah, as if that wasn´t the first one on my mind. ˝she said, rolling her eyes.

˝Fine, then…Dasher? …Dancer? ˝he offered, trying to remember the names of all of Santa´s reindeer from the story he´d been reading to Aaron lately.

˝No. No, it´s not it. ˝she replied, shaking her head. ˝It starts with a ´D´ and ends with a ´X´. ˝she said; then, after consulting her puzzle again, added: ˝And helpfully with a ´WYTO´ in the middle. ˝

Jack looked at her, first puzzled; then, after seeing her eyebrows scrunched up so cutely as she stared at the puzzle in concentration; amused. ˝Yeah, Kate, as if Santa would name his reindeer ´Dwytox´. How about you go back and check all the other nonsense you might have written in there. ˝he teased, chuckling; then returned to his sport section again.

Kate shot him a look and tried to return to her puzzle again to find where she´d made a mistake; but his occasional mutterings of ´_Dwytox! Ha!_´ followed by snickering somehow just wasn´t helping her concentration. She stared at him, trying to decide what she´d throw at him first: a pillow or a vase. But then, she had another idea.

She set her crosswords down and got up from the sofa, crossing the room in few steps and coming to stand in front of him. She waited until she got his attention; then, putting her hands on either side of his shoulders, straddled him, slowly dragging her body across his until she was sitting on top of him. Knowing she had his full attention now, she grinned wickedly; then crashed her lips on his, feasting on him and making sure he didn´t come up for air until it was absolutely necessary to.

˝Kate, what… ˝he panted when she finally let him go, but the rest of his question was left in the air, for she was now nibbling on his earlobe and gently licking the sensitive skin underneath.

˝You still…insist…that you were…right? ˝she asked, sucking his earlobe in her mouth after every pause.

Jack groaned, feeling his brain going foggy with what she was doing to him. She smiled, enjoying the effect she had on him; then, placing little kisses all along his neck, returned to his mouth, finding them eager and thirsty as they captured hers in a frenzy, passionate kiss.

˝You know…come to think about it…˝he said breathlessly when they finally pulled away for air. ˝I…I think that there_ is_ a reindeer named Dwytox. ˝

Kate giggled, busy with unbuttoning his shirt. ˝Yeah? ˝

˝Y-yeah. ˝Jack groaned, burying his head into her neck; kissing, nibbling and sucking on the soft skin there. ˝He´s…he´s an assistant reindeer, the one who gets called whenever…whenever one of the main nine can´t ma…˝

Kate stopped unbuckling his belt and looked up at him. ˝Jack? ˝she asked breathlessly.

˝Yeah? ˝he replied, his tone matching hers.

˝Shut up! ˝she said, pushing him down on the couch and following on top of him; the missing reindeer forgotten very soon…


End file.
